


Outcast: Left to Fate (Re-done)

by GrunkleLogic



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-22 16:46:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17666324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrunkleLogic/pseuds/GrunkleLogic
Summary: A story about a half Qunari, half human man who makes his way to the Inquisition with a few other people that do not fit the typical Thedas people. All but two are members of two different races, outcast from society they become their own family. Their own group, and they make their home wherever each other are. They join the Inquisition to joining The Iron Bull and his Chargers, but soon discover they may have more power among one another than separate.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided that my last piece was far, far too rushed and I wanted to make it better. So here's the new bit, hope you like it. Also, I updated the plot description. Sometimes I'll write down a plot but my hands and brain take me to other places with it.

 

 

 

 Prologue

 Eli Timsworth wasn't your typical human, nor Qunari. His mother had been a Tal~Vashoth that fell in love with a human during her flight from the Qun. Shortly after his birth, his mother was caught by those who still followed the Qun and executed. They had no idea Eli existed; his father kept him a secret from the invading Qunari.

 

 

He had no idea what they would do when they found out that there wasn't just a child born to the Tal~Vashoth deserter, but a half human one at that. Whether it'd been seen as possible or not, it happened. Shortly after the Quanri left the village, his father whisked the young boy away out of fear.

The two of them lived in the wilderness, away from civilization, for the next eight years. It was on Eli's birthday did his father finally decide it was time to move back in with other humans; a life on the run was hardly a life at all. But their arrival in a Hinterlands was not met with the kindness that his father had expected; they frowned upon the boy, claiming he was a beast of some sorts.

They would have driven the small family out had it not been for an accepting family that helped them build a house on the outskirts of the village. Their youngest, Jarvis, became fast friends with young Eli. Soon, the two became inseparable. When Eli's father died of the Blight, Jarvis's family took him in. Still, there were questions that Eli did not understand. His father never talked to him about what the Qunari actually were; he had no idea why he was so different. He decided at the age of twenty to head off, his friend and brother coming with him. The two set off in search of adventure, excitement, but would their story end in tragedy?

 

 

**Chapter 1: The Western Approach**

  

The sun burned the back of his neck as Eli walked. All of his companions fared about the same; they'd been searching for treasure on the dunes near the canyons but there were so many Venatori soldiers about it was hard to take a step without them being there. Eli, who wished he weren't wearing such heavy armour, could barely put a foot in front of the other. Ahead of him, Jarvis and Bronc trudged along.

They decided to lead the way, though that job normally belonged to Rook. Now that was a man that could really find a way through a round room if needed. But the man was smaller than everyone here, not a dwarf but just small.

In fact, Eli was the only one among them that was anything different than human. Hammiel brought up the back of the group holding onto their horse's reins. "Why did we listen to that lead? I knew that noble was full of crap," panted Eli, though there was no response. In fact, this whole trip the group had been rather silent.      

 

Even Jarvis, who always enjoyed talking with him. But after what happened in Kirkwall, he'd been silent. At least to Eli, more than once Eli had come back and overheard the group carrying on well without him, but when he entered the room, they all fell silent.

Eli just wrote it off as them having nothing to say. Maybe they were just tired from the journey. That must be it; everyone was excited to get back to Val Royeaux to get some of that high class wine that Faincy loved so much. And the cheese; Maker knew that he loved his cheese.

Personally, Eli was much more of a mead person. It was about mid~day and Eli wondered if they'd ever stop. He'd always thought it was unwise to travel in this land during the time the sun was highest in the sky. But, of course, not a person wanted to stick round when there was gold to be made.

  _'Gold won't protect you from burns, you nug~heads,'_ Eli thought as he passed Rook. Hours ticked by, and dusk rolled in.

They stopped near a dead tree and a rocky overhang for the night, Bronc got to setting up a fire while Eli and Jarvis went hunting.

 

The two brothers were alone, things had been getting pretty tense between the two and Eli didn't understand why. Walking with him, he'd been like this ever since Kirkwall; they'd stopped travelling for a while to stay in the city. That was when the Qunari attacked, the entire group thought it would be wise for Eli not to be in Kirkwall while this was happening. So he left, but once everything had happened and Eli reunited with his friends, things had been extremely tense between him and Jarvis. Tracking an augast ram, that would be suitable for the entire group but they still had a while to go to find the animal.

"So...uh, you and Bronc?" Eli started but a sharp look from Jarvis quieted him.

This was awkward; but Eli forced himself to focus on the hunt. They tracked down that ram really quickly, it was one of Jarvis's spells that brought it down. Kneeling down, Eli began to gut it. Stopping, Eli couldn't take it anymore; the silence was killing him.

"Are we going to talk about what happened in Kirkwall? And don't just tell me no, I'm sick of being left in the dark," Eli demanded, looking at Jarvis as the man suddenly froze up like a statue.   

"No, Eli, I don't. If you were a wise ma-per-whatever, you'd stop and move on," Jarvis snapped as he whipped around and left.

 

Did he just...? No, Jarvis must be tired and whatever happened in Kirkwall must have set him and the group on edge. Eli knew that it had something to do with a mage blowing something up, and the Qunari taking over the city. But what had that to do with him? Eli looked back to the dead ram and closed his eyes. Shaking his head, he finished his work and picked the animal up, slinging it over his shoulder. 

 

Getting back to camp, Eli said nothing as he started to cut pieces off and cook them, glancing at Jarvis as he stared into the flame as if he could see something that wasn't there. The whole group was silent, almost as if Jarvis had told them what had happened between them. Throwing a stick into the fire, Eli had enough.

"Alright, sow hat happened in Kirkwall?" he asked flatly, looking as everyone's eyes, except for Jarvis's, turned to him. Not a single word; it hurt. Getting up, Eli turned and headed for the tents.

"I'm going to bed." The rest of the night, he could hear the group talking, and a few laughs here and there. Laying there in bed, Eli felt like crying he felt so alone.

 

The next morning, they all woke up, ate and headed out. Not a word was exchanged among any of them, it was weird. But perhaps everyone was just tired. It'd been a long road after all. 

That must be it; everyone was excited to get back to Val Royeaux to get some of that high class wine that Faincy loved so much. And the cheese; Maker knew that he loved his cheese. Personally, Eli was much more of a mead person. Eli was so stuck in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed that they'd stopped. Wait, was this silent treatment because Eli disagreed that the Qun was bad?

That condemning someone because they were different? Nobody but Jarvis had said anything, sitting around the fire. Looking up, Eli noticed the expression on Hammiel's face; it was neutral but he seemed unable to look at Eli. Rook, Faincy...even Bronc, who stood up for Eli on many occasions, looked away. Turning to Jarvis, fear rose in Eli's eyes as he took a step backwards.

"I'm sorry, Eli, but you can't travel with us anymore. I don't trust you...not after Kirkwall," Jarvis started saying, though Eli couldn't hear any of it. It was as if he became numb from the ears down.

 

Heart pumping.

Sweat rolling.

Eyes dilating.

Panic sinking in.

What was happening?

_"You aren't human enough to understand, are you?"_

He heard that; snapping out of his shock, he watched as Jarvis got onto the horse. He tossed down a half empty water sack, bursting it as he turned the horse around. Eli turned and looked at his friends, they followed behind Jarvis.

"Wait...you can't leave me out here alone without water!" he scrambled after his friends, but there was a hard blow to his head and darkness took over the young man, unable to move.

The sun burned the sand, gusts of wind created sand devils. Perhaps this was how Eli avoided serious burns when he woke, as he had been buried under a couple inches of sand. His legs, he couldn't move his legs! Groaning, he discovered his whole body ached and his head felt like a bell.

Though it was remarkably colder than he remembered, and a lot darker. He could hear the most frightening calls; hyenas. There must be a pack nearby and alone? Eli didn't have a prayer! Blinking the sand out of his eyes, he felt bile rising.

Pushing himself up as best as he could, he turned himself around and started to dig himself out. It wasn't easy; he was weak. Being left unconscious in the hot sun, he'd been burned and gotten very dehydrated. Finally, after what felt like hours, he was able to pull himself out of the sand. Struggling to his feet, he fell over and remained there; looking around him he couldn't believe how large this place was.

 

"Hello? Please, is anyone there?" he asked loudly, listening carefully. Nothing but the sounds of the hyenas somewhere in the distance and the whistle of the wind.

Shivering, he felt as alone as he looked. Pushing himself up, he didn't really know where to go. The footprints in the sand had been long since buried, and every step he took hurt.

"I-I'm going to die out here," he mumbled, trying to figure out which way to go.

In the end, he just started walking North; it didn't matter. He'd either be eaten by hyenas, a quillback, a phoenix or something worse or the elements would kill him. Every step that he took, should have hurt.

But all he could think about was...why? Why had Jarvis, and the rest of them, left him to die? What had he done that was so bad that he deserved a fate such as this? Shivering as he walked on, he was getting tired. His feet were heavier every step, his eyes seemed to droop. But how could he sleep here? There was no good shelter for miles, if anywhere and the animals could probably smell him from here.

Not that it truly mattered, at this point he was just waiting for death. Nobody lasted alone without supplies in this land and overnight. He stopped by a large dune, sitting down he pulled his knees up to his chest. Wrapping his arms around them, he tucked his head into his knees and cried.

 

When dawn broke, a large figure lay still in the sand. Only, he'd not died overnight. Laying on top of him was a large grey dog~hyena. She must have seen Eli, and took it upon herself to watch over her. There was a collar around her neck; she'd been a beloved pet at one point in her life.

 

The desert was the place people left friends they no longer wanted. Getting to his feet, Eli and his new companion started off. He didn't have the group anymore, but there was a group of mercenaries he'd heard joined the Inquisition; The Bull's Chargers. And The Iron Bull himself; if anyone would accept an outcast like himself and now his new friend, it'd be that man...right?  

 


	2. Outcast: Of Dogs, Sand and Elves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli was left to die in the Western Approach without food, without water, without shelter. Left without hope, he was ready to let himself go until he met another abandoned soul within the land; a dog~hyena hybrid. Much like himself, this creature was misunderstood. There have been whispers about a Qunari named 'The Iron Bull' and his Chargers. Eli, given no choice, decided to try his luck and find these mercenaries. He may have lost everything but his new friend gave him hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter to my fanfiction I am sure is quite the eye roller. My work really isn't for good entertainment as much as it's self expression, in my own warped way. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, I enjoyed writing it (once I actually got around to doing it. If procrastination was a talent, then I'm quite gifted).
> 
> Also, I made an error; they are travelling to Haven, not Skyhold. Not Skyhold just yet.

**Chapter 2: Band of Misfits**

 

Eli couldn't find his bearings; standing on top of a large dune he'd managed to squirrel his way up there weren't even old pillars of a civilization that had lived out here. Nothing but wind, more sand and wicked heat. Looking down at his new comrade, the dog~hyena seemed quite bored. Smiling, Eli realized that she must have been out here for sometime.

While the dog part of her wasn't suited for these temperatures and conditions, the hyena in her was what gave her the boost she really needed. But that realization also pointed out a very sad fact; the animal was  _used_ to this, which meant she was out here for quite some time. Chances were that her masters had dumped her here a long time ago. Or, perhaps, died and she was left on her own.

Whatever the cause of her isolation, Eli was happy to have her. They needed each other, in many ways.

 

"Well, girl, looks like we've hit a snag in our plans. Which way do we go? If we take the wrong turn, then we'll be stuck out here until we die and we've got no water as it is. What should we do?" he asked, looking back at his companion. The grey dog~hyena cocked her head and looked around, almost as if she truly understood their predicament.

Her ears perked and she glanced around the endless dunes of sand and nothingness. Suddenly, she gave this weird bark and trotted off.

 

"You're the boss, dog~hyena," Eli stated, walking behind her when she stopped and looked up at him.

"What? Well, I guess you wouldn't call me 'Qunari~Human', so a name would be better. I've never got to name something...how about Kaytoh? I had a friend growing up with that name; she was a mage and was slaughtered by the templars but I always remember her fondly," he suggested, his mind tracking back to that sweet woman who used to bring him sweets or something cool whenever she came by the house.

His father didn't know that he talked to her, he was concerned with the fighting and decided to move them again.

As they left, Eli saw the body of his friend and was saddened; she'd been his first friend and it hurt to know that she'd died so violently. Would she be flattered by the idea of getting a dog~hyena hybrid named after her? well, she should be flattered; she understood Eli's way of looking at the world.

 

He saw everything and everyone as equal, that just because the being couldn't speak the languages another did didn't mean they were undeserving of life or rights. He saw the world for what if could be, but sadly not what it was. That was one of the many flaws that Eli held was his worldview, but also one of his great traits.

 

He wanted to change the world to something better, just he really didn't know how to go about it. The dog~hyena looked at Eli and snorted happily; Kaytoh. The two picked their way through hard sands and rough winds, their journey had barely started and it already seemed endless.

 

By mid~day, both of them were in need of a rest. Finding an overhang, the two made sure there weren't any nasty creepy crawlies about before settling in. Before he got comfortable, since they were in some shade, Eli removed a handkerchief and dug into the cold sand. Putting the cloth inside and burying the top, he knew the chances of getting water out of that was slim but they had to try.

 

Sitting back, Eli's m ind wandered to Jarvis. Why? Why had he left him alone? Why had the entire group not spoken up? He saw the expression on Hammiel's face, on Fanicy's. Three of the five had felt guilt, and like this was wrong but they said and did nothing. It wasn't Jarvis's betrayal that hurt the most...it was theirs. Eli would have spoken up for them, seen the good in them whereas others wouldn't.

 

But perhaps now Eli's eyes could open to their true natures. Hammiel was the one that surprised him the most; out of the entire group he had expected Hammiel to have the mind of his own but...he just let this happen. Sighing, Eli hadn't realized that tears fell from his eyes. Kaytoh however did notice.

 

Pushing her snout between Eli's arm and leg, she whined at him. Looking at Kaytoh, the compassion this being showed was already astonishing. Petting her, Eli felt a bit better about this.

 

"Thanks, Kaytoh. I guess this hurts more than I realized. We should take a nap and get going," Eli glumly spoke, though his head didn't touch the ground before a low rumble startled him. Looking at Kaytoh, her ears were pinned back and her teeth bared.

 

"What is it?" Eli quavered, looking around for whatever alerted Kaytoh. But there was...nothing. There was nothing there! Standing up, he reached back for his maul, ready to fight for his and Kaytoh's lives.

 

But when he stood there, the only thing he saw was the sand picking up in the wind. It was eerie, to say the least, that someone could be out there and skulking around. It was impossible to see anything in this weather, it was hot yet the sky was darkening. A storm was brewing and without proper cover, the two of them had little chance of survival.

 

How had the weather turned so quickly from just hot and windy, to hot, windy and dark? The wind was picking up every second. Eli didn't like this; he could almost feel the unrest with Kaytoh as well. Something  _was_ out there and neither he nor his furry companion could see it.

 

Or them; whatever this thing was, it unsettled Eli enough to want to move in the storm. A very unwise thought, they at least had some cover from the storm under this overhang. Climbing back down, he tucked himself as far under as he could with Kaytoh pressing up against him. They were tired, and getting weaker. Or, at least, Eli was. Kaytoh was fine, but she wouldn't leave her new charge's side. 

 

It was a death sentence, really, but Kaytoh was just happy to be around someone again. The two stayed awake for the longest time, listening for the intruder but they were completely exhausted. Falling asleep, neither of them could see the figure standing in front of them.

 

When they both awoke, there was food, a fire and canteens of water around them. But no sign of the person, or persons, that had left it.

"Jarvis? Did you come back for us?" Eli called but there was no answer. No footprints, nothing. It was strange...was it poisoned? Kaytoh sniffed the meat and took a bite of it; no reaction. Grabbing one of the canteens, Eli opened it and took a sip, glancing at Kaytoh. She looked concerned, but when Eli didn't get sick she whined at him. He poured the water into Kaytoh's mouth, who greedily drank as much as she could.

 

"They came back...they had to have. Who else would leave this all?" Eli pondered, though he doubted that his 'friends' would return.

Kaytoh started desperately eating some of the food left for them; she must not have eaten in a long time. Now that Eli examined her for longer than a second, his heart sank. Poor Kaytoh's ribs peaked out of dull grey fur, mats surrounding her pelt. So maybe this one wasn't doing as well as he had first imagined. Grabbing a piece of meat himself, he noticed how Kaytoh froze; they were already bonded but the trust wasn't there yet.

 

"Easy, it's alright," he soothed her as he sat down. He sank his teeth into the meat, savouring it. It was delicious, Eli just started to feel how hungry he actually was. Taking a few healthy gulps of the water, the two ate their fill before smothering the fire. Whoever made it was gone, at least out of sight. Packing some of the food and two water canteens, the only ones the person left, the two of them headed out. 

 

As the day drew on, both of them felt watched. Looking over their shoulders every once and a while, Eli almost wished he were a mage of sorts to make the 'invisible' visible again. But he was a simple warrior, not a spellblade nor anything like that. Kaytoh was getting more and more irritated the longer they went under the eye of an unknown spy. It got to the point where Eli just couldn't take it anymore and whipped around.

 

"Alright, I  _know_ you are out there, stranger. I can't see you, and the likelihood of you winning a fight against me and Kaytoh right now is very good, but that's hardly an honourable fight. Either show yourself or leave us alone!" Eli demanded in his harshest voice.

 

He knew whoever, or whatever, was out there listening. Silence, nothing but silence. Grabbing a rock in frustration, he threw it and to his astonishment, hit something. 

 _Clonk!_ A figure appeared out of nowhere. "Sweet Maker that hurt!" a woman whined, rubbing her head. 

 

She had long silver and white hair that was tied back into a ponytail, reaching all the way to her mid~back. Her brown eyes squinted in pain, the dark skin wrinkled around her face in an annoyed expression. She wore a dark red vest and no arm protection, brown pants that looked ran through the mud and no shoes.

She was at least half elven, strange that Eli should run into someone like her. In fact, everyone standing here seemed to not be part of just one single race.

 

"Now what in the fade was that for?!" she demanded, looking straight at Eli who looked about as whit as his hair.

 

"I...you're  _real_...I'm not going mad," he muttered almost, brown eyes meeting brown eyes.

 

"No, it's normal to throw rocks at strange women where you come from, is it?" the elf growled, kicking the rock away.       

 

"Well you wouldn't have gotten a rock thrown at you if you'd shown yourself instead of skulking around like a cat on the prowl!" he retorted and crossing his arms. She snorted, but didn't disappear again.

"So...it was you that gave us food, gave us water...why? Where did you get enough water?" Eli questioned her; he couldn't figure out how a single person could provide for not just themselves out here alone but two others.

 

"I have a camp over beyond that large dune. There's a creek in the canyon, I make a trip everyday down the path. Saw you, figured you and your, uh, whatever that things is," she looked at Kaytoh who growled at her before turning her back at the two pointingly, "had trust issues. So, I got an extra ram, some extra food and decided to give you a fighting chance." She looked confident but in truth she was just as lonely out here as Eli and Kaytoh. Shunned by her father's people and her mother's, she was forced into exile. Spent most of her life alone, and it'd changed her in the worst of ways. 

 

Looking at her, Eli understood something; she reached out because she really didn't want to be alone. He could see it in her face, and she must have noticed something that was different about him too. Humans didn't accept him for being half Qunari, and he'd never met anyone from his mother's side so how was he supposed to know if they'd take him in? How they'd treat him? He really didn't know.

"We're going to Haven to join the Inquisition. Thank you, for everything and I'm sorry about the rock," Eli started, watching the disappointed expression cross her face.

 

"Would...would you like to come with us? I mean, I understand if you want to stay here. But it's gotta get lonely, and we could use the company," he proposed as Kaytoh walked back up to him. The woman's face lit up, the idea of getting out of this place was more than tempting. A grin crossed her face as she looked at him.

"Need someone to keep you alive, huh? Well, I can. I don't suppose I've got much better things to do other than kill the Vints that come out this way anyway...they are bound to pick me off eventually. I'm Kitty Rye. But you can call me Kit," she introduced happily; she sure seemed like a really upbeat person. Taking her hand, Eli smiled.

 

"I'm Eli Timsworth, and this is Kaytoh. Nice to meet you...if I may ask, are you an elf?" he started, motioning for her to follow. 

"Ears tip you off, eh? Just like those horns basically scream that you are Qunari. I'm only part elf, mother was a human and my father was an elf."

"My mother was a Tal~Vashoth, my father was the human."

 

They talked about their families, where they'd come from and who they'd met. Both agreed on one thing; not a single race tolerated anyone mixed very well. Though people like Eli and Kit fell through the cracks easily.

 

"It's kinda funny really, out of all the people you could have ran into, you run into the only Qunari~human person and his dog~hyena hybrid. And I run into you. We make quite the group already," Eli chuckled as he chucked another rock. Kit just laughed, watching the rock fly over a dune.

 

"How does that magic work to keep you invisible?" Eli suddenly wondered, not realizing he had said it out loud.

 

"It's more of an illusion. I cast a disappear spell and it just makes me almost blend into the background. I dunno, how do you make an axe? It's easier shown than done but I'm spent," she explained it as best she could, it was hard. Nodding, it explained enough to Eli. They spent the entire day either chatting or just enjoying each other's company; this was going to be a great friendship. 

 

The next few days were fantastic; they made it down to the lower canyons by the third day. Making camp near an old fence that seemed to go nowhere, the three finally caught a break. Pitching the tent, the three gathered around the campfire. Tomorrow, they'd reach the wastelands. Both of them had gathered enough supplies to last them, though it undoubtedly would be the hardest part of their journey yet. Still, Haven held enough of a prize to them that it'd be worth it.

 

Maybe they could raid a Venetori wagon. Kill them and take everything, make it across. The three of them had no doubt that they'd survive. Only tomorrow would prove their skills, their desire to survive. Thanks to Kit, Eli and Kaytoh survived and thanks to Eli and Kaytoh, so did Kit. So thus they became a band of misfits, people in every society either detested or couldn't understand. One thing was for certain; the three would be inseparable.  


	3. Outcast: Tea and Crumpets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli, Kaytoh and Kit are all travelling to Haven to meet The Iron Bull and his Chargers, and hopefully join the fight to right the wrong done to the world. They've travelled through the wastelands, managed to make it to Val Royeaux. There, they meet someone they did not expect...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've had a friend help me figure out why my work is so hard to read. Sorry about not spacing out the talking bits! Anyway, I decided to skip through the wasteland travels, it'd stretch the chapters too far from the original source material and I thing it'd have gotten boring after a while. Now I'm not great at cannon characters but this is my very first fanfiction, I hope I do well on it. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Val Royeaux**

 

The three had barely made it through the wastelands. Eli had been correct; there  _were_ Venetori in the wastelands, and they had managed to get their hands on a wagon. The horse was rather...pathetic, in all honesty. An old nag that seemed very tired of his job but continued on. One thing was for certain; none of them seemed like the type that frequented the markets of high society. Filthy and a bit smelly, all of them were in dire need of a bath, new clothes and better manners. At least, to the  _fine people_ of this wretched place. Personally, Kit hated places like these. To her they always felt as if they turned their pointy noses up at them. Snobs, the lot of them. Ditching their cart at the stables, watching as the poor man put in charge of the horse scrambled to find a place out of sight for their ghastly equine, the three decided to sell some of the junk they'd found to get some food, and a bath. 

Walking up to the entrance gate, the expressions alone could have killed. Which, Eli imagined, everyone looking at them wished would happen. 

 

"So, I hear that just looking at someone the wrong way here could get deadly, huh?" Kit mumbled as she watched a noble 'faint' upon seeing them.

 

"How should I know? Do I  _look_ like the type that makes a life in places like these? I told you we should have just continued onto the Exalted Plains. There'd at least be a town that would have accepted us without having the fear of some rich noble stabbing us in our sleep."

 

"Yeah, but if we just kept going, we'd smell worse and be hungrier. Best just get through this, and leave before nightfall."

 

That was the best they could do to accept staying here; neither of them were comfortable and Kaytoh seemed out of place herself. No, in truth Kaytoh probably should have stayed with the old nag but she was her own canine. She made the choice to come with her new comrades, though Eli nor Kit blamed her for not wanting to be alone among such people like these. It was ironic to Eli that they'd call them savages when their own brutality was basically out in the open. Humans were a strange lot, they claimed they wanted peace but all they did was kill others. 

 

For this, Eli almost wished that he knew anything of the Qun; what would his life look like under it? His father always told him that it was a life that would do him no good. No freedom, only a set of strict rules and a set way of life. No freedom of choice. But on the other hand, to Eli, the humans were all given freedom of choice and look where that got them? Bloodshed, non-stop violence, and civil war after civil war.

 

But life could be like that under the Qun as well, couldn't it? Eli didn't really know what to think. Besides, would the Qun accept a half~human qunari? His father always told him that nobody could be trusted. Not mages, not templars...nobody. Eli couldn't live like that though; what kind of life did a person live to have that much fear ingrained into their being? That wasn't a life that Eli wanted to live. 

 

His mind was racing with these thoughts as they entered the market. By this time, people were plain out staring at the seemingly misplaced vagabonds. Stepping closer to kit, Eli felt a bit of fear as he looked around at everyone. Judging eyes, none looked curious about them. Just disgust, fear and something Eli didn't quite understand. An emotion, tense and very unsettling. Not unlike the frustration he sometimes felt, but deeper. Harsher; it scared him. Kit seemed to pick up on his discomfort.

 

"Hey, easy. It's alright; we'll be in and out of this place quick. Alright? Maybe we'll pick some soap up, get food and just bathe in a stream or something?" Kit suggested, hoping to lift her friend's mood.

 

A noble overheard the idea and huffed in repugnance. Kit just blew it off; what she had to say didn't matter. Heading into the upper market, they looked for the shop that carried and bought weapons. They'd taken the swords off the dead Venetori, they weren't using them anymore, to sell for food. Walking in, the shop owner quickly wrestled his nose in his fingers and let out a loud, 'Phew'. The pettiness of these people could not be overstated. 

 

Pulling the bag of swords up to the counter, Kit knew she'd be better at this than Eli. He seemed like a nice person, but not quite quick to conversation or forwardness. He was quiet, didn't appear to have all that much confidence. 

"Alright, these are all cleaned up and in great shape. Made from the finest smiths in Tevinter, I should know; I grew up in the area and know my way around a forge. How much would you give us?"

 

The shop owner looked horrified about the idea of touching the bag alone. Sighing, Kit pulled a sword out. There were emeralds on the hilt, shined brightly against the light this shop held. This is what caught the eye of the noble that ran this sword shop. 

 

"My my, what a lovely blade. I'll give you three royals for it."

 

Three? Like that'd do. "No, ten for every I have in this sack, or we leave. I know how hard these blades are to come by, special made," Kit answered coldly, looking into that hideous mask this little man wore. 

The noble looked as if he'd argue, but not even he would be foolish enough to deny the bargain. These were worth twice that and he knew it. 

 

"Fine, you've got yourselves a deal...just take them out of that sack, won't you?"

 

Rolling her eyes, Kit pulled all the weapons out and put them on the table. One, two, three, four and five. The noble almost threw the fifty royals at them, but Eli managed to catch the bag. Heading out, none of them could say they'd miss this place. When they went into the place that sold what smelled to be bathing supplies. It was easier getting in and out of that place than they thought; the person running it seemed all too happy to lend a hand with something that smelled far better than they did.

 

"Let's just do some hunting and gathering a long the way...Kaytoh is uncomfortable."

 

A soft, questionable 'arf' made Eli give his new pup a stern expression. She understood; Eli didn't want to pressure his friend into leaving but there was a sense of impending doom creeping into Eli's being. They were not welcome here, and it was becoming more and more obvious. Kit looked over and understood, motioning him to follow her when even more shocked gasps surrounded the crowd of nobility. Looking over, Kit quickly realized it wasn't directed at them anymore. There, walking into the front gate, was a man with three other companions;

 

A blonde dwarf with a crossbow,

A woman with a serious expression and a strange symbol on her armour,

A bald elf with a staff,

A man who looked to be leading them.

 

 

People were in a panic, some spoke about how this was the 'end of time'. Nudging Eli, whose eyes were fixed on The Iron Bull as he walked past, he slowly followed after Kit as they rounded the tower. There was a stage with a Sister on it, preaching to the crowd. Upon spotting the Inquisition, the Sister directed her fury to them.

 

_"Good people of Val Royeaux, hear me! Together, we mourn our Divine. Her naive and beautiful heart silenced by treachery! You wonder what would become of her murderer. Well, wonder no more!Behold, the so called 'Herald of Andraste'! Claiming to rise where our beloved fell. We say this is a false prophet! Maker would send no mage in our hour of need!"_

She was very angry, and very accusing. The man's face contorted in anger, his thick brown eyebrows furrowed in tensity as he started up at the woman. He had a thick brown beard all over his face, his hair tied back in a bun. He was a mage, as stated, but wore the armour of a warrior. His blue eyes were full of the fury he felt in his heart as he looked up at the Sister.

 

_"I make no such claim! I wasn't sent by Andraste or the Maker! I'm simply trying to close the breach, it threatens us all."_

The woman with a serious expression stepped forward to speak.

_"It's true! The Inquisition only seeks to end this madness before it's too late."_

There was movement that caused Eli to look over; templars. They made him nervous every time he saw them. A rather gaunt looking man, very pale skin and jet black hair was heading for the stage. Whatever was going to happen, Eli had the feeling it wasn't good. The man's shoulders were tense, there was no compassion in his eyes. No sense of love, nothing. It creeped Eli out and he could tell Kaytoh wasn't a fan of him either as she pressed into the side of his leg. Reaching down, he gave the scared pup a pet.

The Sister was very oblivious to the intentions of the newcomer. She pointed at the group of men, declaring:

 

_"It is already too late! The templars have returned to the Chantry! They will face this "Inquisition" and the people will be safe once more!"_

A man struck the poor woman in the back of the head; Eli cried out in shock, covering his mouth. Stepping forward, Kit's hand held him there.

"No...they'll do the same to you. Just wait."

 

Eli couldn't believe someone would be so cruel; he wasn't paying attention to what was being said. He wanted to hide somewhere, but that wouldn't solve anything, right? Running never solved it. Didn't solve his father's issues, got him killed even. Or maybe that was just the Blight. He was tuning out the world around him, unable to cope with the crowd. Kaytoh picked up on his despair and pushed her muzzle into him. 

 

He looked up just as the templars walked off the stage, but people were crowding and Eli couldn't make it up to see if the lady was alright. In the end, Kit had enough of being pushed and huffed at, so she pulled Eli away and free of the people. 

 

"Come on, we've gotta keep up! I don't know if they'll let us follow them, but I know they are always recruiting. Come on then, Eli, hurry it up!" she urged him rather impatiently as he hobbled with her.

 

The three of them watched at the one they addressed as 'Seeker' was dismissed by the angry fellow, and the group stood there in shock for a moment. They started to move again, which was when Kit rushed forward.

 

"Inquisitor, wait!" she waved at him, making the man stop and look over.

 

"Yes? How may I help you?" he looked annoyed, but that was probably due to what had just happened. 

"My friends here ad I would like to join...is there any room? Please, we've travelled from the Western Approach to get here. We just want a chance of fixing what's broken...but we wanted to get some help getting there. We've got our own cart, a horse to pull it. We can keep up, good fighters the pair of us, and won't slow you down a bit." Her eyes met his, and he understood.

"Fine, just try to keep up. And listen to orders."

Kit nodded and turned back to Eli, waving him to follow her to the cart. They were in; they were part of the solution. 

 

"I hear The Iron Bull is already there, or heading there at least. Either way, you'll get your chance to meet him...and his Chargers." She nudged him and the two headed off to get ready to travel to Haven with their new leader.


End file.
